How licensing works in Arizona
The Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) licenses drivers. Teens move from an instruction permit to a graduated (Class G) license, then to full privileges.
| Stage | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated instruction permit | 15 years 6 months | Pass the written test. Valid 12 months. Drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat. |
| Graduated (Class G) license | 16 | Hold the permit 6 months. 30 practice hours (10 at night) or approved driver education. First 6 months: no driving midnight to 5 a.m. and no more than one passenger under 18, unless a parent rides along. |
| Full privileges | After 6 months licensed, or 18 | Night and passenger limits end. |
Practice hours
A parent or guardian must certify 30 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 hours at night. Instead of logging hours, a teen can finish an MVD-approved driver education program.
Exceptions to the first-6-month limits
The night limit does not apply when a licensed parent or guardian sits in the front seat, or when you drive directly to or from a job, a sanctioned school or religious activity, or a family emergency. Brothers and sisters do not count toward the passenger limit.
The Arizona knowledge test
You must pass the MVD written test before you get an instruction permit. Questions come from the Arizona Driver License Manual and cover traffic laws, safe driving and signs.
- You need a score of 80% or higher to pass.
- ADOT offers the permit test at home online, through Permit Test @ Home.
- ADOT also has three free practice tests on its website.
- Bring the identification documents MVD asks for. Check the list on the ADOT website before you go.
Rules specific to Arizona
Phones
Arizona drivers may not hold or support a phone or other wireless device with any part of their body while driving. You also may not read or write texts, or watch, record or stream video. You may use a phone hands-free or by voice, or to report an emergency.
Seat belts and child seats
Everyone in the front seat must wear a belt, and the driver must make sure every passenger under 16 is buckled up. Children under 5 must ride in a child restraint. Children 5 to 8 stay in one until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children 12 and under should never ride in the front seat.
School buses
Stop for a school bus with flashing lights and its stop arm out, from either direction. Stay stopped until the bus moves or the lights and arm turn off. On a road divided by a physical barrier, you do not have to stop if the bus is on the other side. Painted lines alone do not count as a divider.
On a road with a physical median, only traffic on the bus's side must stop.
- The stopped school bus.
- A car behind the bus must stop.
- A car on the other side of the median may keep going with care.
Move Over law
When you pass any vehicle stopped at the side of the road with flashing lights, such as police, fire, tow trucks, road crews or private cars, move over one lane. If you cannot move over safely, slow down and use caution. This applies on freeways and city streets.
Speed limits when none are posted
| Where | Speed limit |
|---|---|
| Approaching a school crosswalk | 15 mph |
| Business or residential district | 25 mph |
| Open highways and city freeways | 55 mph |
| Designated open highways | 65 mph |
| Rural freeways | 75 mph |
Fines double for violations in posted work zones. Use the left lane for passing. On a three-lane highway, the far left lane is the passing lane.
Test tips
- Read the whole Arizona Driver License Manual once.
- List every number: ages, hours, speeds and heights.
- Do these practice questions and ADOT's practice tests.
- Reread the parts of the manual where you made mistakes.
Keep studying
This guide covers rules that are special to Arizona. The general rules of the road, such as right-of-way, turns, lane markings, parking and sharing the road, are in the national US driving study guide. Study both before your test.